Eating tool

ABSTRACT

An eating tool ( 100 ) is composed of a rod-shaped member ( 102 ) which comprises a holding portion ( 104 ) and a utensil portion ( 108 ) provided at a tip of the holding portion ( 104 ) for holding or cutting food ( 106 ) to carry the food ( 106 ) into mouth, wherein the utensil portion ( 108 ) comprises a fork ( 110 ) split into two and a knife portion ( 114 ) in which a plurality of grooves ( 112 ) are formed outside one of the split portion of the fork ( 110 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an eating tool for having a meal.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

In the past, forks and knives have been used for Western dishes and chopsticks have been used for Japanese dishes. Various shapes of chopsticks have been created (For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. JP 2006-20700 A). Further, disposable chopsticks are used for eating out or eating home. In Japan, 2.6 million pairs of disposable chopsticks are annually used and in China, 4.5 million pairs of disposable chopsticks are annually used, resulting in the consumption of 8 million pairs of disposable chopsticks that are disposed of as a large amount of wastes after use.

Originally, Japanese disposable chopsticks contributed to natural environment protection. That is, the use of disposable chopsticks was good Japanese traditional culture because such disposable chopsticks were created to effectively use thinned wood and pieces of wood left from lumber. Even now, disposable chopsticks have been produced in Japan based on such tradition.

While disposable chopsticks made in Japan are expensive; about Japanese Yen 5/pair, disposable chopsticks made in China are low; about Japanese Yen 1/pair. This results in nearly 98% of China-made disposable chopsticks used in the world. These China-made disposable chopsticks have been produced by clear-cutting forests. Therefore, an issue that forests of China or the like are decreasing has been raised. The decrease of forests deteriorates global warming and avoids CO₂ absorption. On the contrary, Japan has facing the crises that man-made forests in Japan are not taken care without thinning the man-made forests, resulting in death of the forests.

Thus, it is necessary to restrict logging in China and the like to prevent destruction of nature because of production of the chopsticks, avoid the global warming, and promote CO₂ absorption. Furthermore, it is necessary to preserve good Japanese tradition that disposable chopsticks are produced by effectively using wood to be disposed of. In view of this, it is necessary to provide eating tools at low cost until the widespread use of the Japan-made disposable chopsticks. In addition, people's movement for nature preservation performed by reuse of thinned wood and mill ends can be supported by carrying out activities aimed at such contents by restaurants or eating out stores.

In recent years, pasta, which is Italian cuisine, has been eaten using chopsticks and the usage aspects of plate ware is diversified, alternatively, forks have been used for Japanese dishes. Since blending of Japanese and Western cuisines is widely spread instead of either Western dishes or Japanese dishes, it is necessary to provide a table ware corresponding to the diversification in usage aspects of the table ware and diversified cuisine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a table ware capable of maintaining traditional culture of Japan, contributing to revitalization of Japanese forestry, and responding to diversification of usage aspects of table ware and diversified cuisine, as well as preventing the destruction of nature. In addition, it is further object of the present invention to blend Western knives and forks with Oriental chopsticks because frequent exchanges in economy, cultures, and diet for each country in the global society have been promoting.

In a first preferred embodiment, an eating tool according to the present invention composed of a rod-shaped member comprises: a holding portion for holding food by hand; and a utensil portion for holding or cutting food to carry food into mouth, wherein the utensil portion comprises: a plurality of forks; and a knife portion.

In one preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the utensil portion may comprise a plurality of forks wherein a plurality of grooves are formed outside the plurality of forks to constitute the knife portion.

In another preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the grooves may be formed from the front-side surface through the outside surface and may be invisible from the back side.

In still another preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the holding portion may be configured in a shape that the rod-shaped member is twisted at 180° around a center line of the rod-shaped member.

In a further preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the holding portion may be configured in a shape that the rod-shaped member is twisted at 360° around the center line of the rod shaped chamber.

In a still further preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the holding portion may be configured in a form of helical shape twisted around the center line of the rod shaped member.

In another preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the holding portion may be configured to be in a shape of twisted rod-shaped member having a rectangular cross section.

In still another preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the utensil portion may be configured to be in a shape twisted at an angle of 90° with respect to the rod-shaped member.

In a further preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the utensil portion may be placed on a table face in a state of being spaced from the table face while allowing the twisted portion to come into contact with the table face.

In a still further preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the utensil portion may have a spoon portion.

In another preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the utensil portion may comprise a plurality of forks, wherein one of the plurality of forks comprises a knife portion having a plurality of grooves outside the fork.

In still another preferred embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention, the grooves may be provided from the front side surface to the outside surface and may be invisible from the back side. Further, in the eating tool according to the present invention, the holding portion may be helically shaped wherein the rod-shaped member is twisted around its center line.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

According to the eating tool of the present invention, a utensil portion comprises a fork and a knife portion, so that the eating tool can be used either as a fork or a knife and the eating tool can be used as chopsticks when using two pieces. Further, when the holding portion is helically shaped, it is easily possible to prevent the slippery of a hand as well as holding the holding portion having a prescribed thickness, even if the eating tool is used either as a fork or as a knife. Furthermore, according to the eating tool of the present invention, one kind of eating tool can be used for a variety of foods. For instance, regarding a course meal, one kind of eating tool can be used for the whole meal, such as appetizers, such as a soup and a salad and the like, a main course, such as a fish dish and a meat dish and the like, and desserts, such as fruits or sweets and the like.

Moreover, if the use of disposable chopsticks is reduced by the widespread of the eating tool according to the present invention, it will become possible to prevent the destruction of forests, as well as restricting the generation of about 1.2 million tons of wastes per year caused by the use of disposable chopsticks. CO₂ absorption by forests can be promoted. Accordingly, it is possible to contribute to the nature preservation by using the eating tool of the present invention, resulting in support of people's movement for nature preservation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of an eating tool according to the present invention will now be described in detail on the basis of the accompanying drawing. In FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), reference numeral 100 is an eating tool of the present invention. The eating tool 100 is mainly used at household or a restaurant. Although the material of the eating tool 100 is not particularly limited, stainless-steel can contribute to cost reduction because stainless eating tools can be repeatedly used by being washed, which results in contribution to cost reduction. The eating tool may be antibacterial plated for good sanitation. The eating tool 100 may be made of ferritic stainless-steel and may be configured not to make any noises by carrying the eating tool 100 while putting the eating tool 100 into a plastic case with a magnet attaching the eating tool 100 into the case. In the case of austenite stainless-steel, the thickness of the material covered with a transparent oxide film is varied in units of 0.1μ to be configured so as to be highly fancy and elaborately-designed by beautifully coloring the stainless-steel surface because of interference phenomenon of light. And the stainless-steel surface may be so treated to be colorful. Furthermore, the eating tool 100 can be easily put name stamp as so-called “my chopsticks” for personal use when eating at home and eating out.

The eating tool 100 of the present invention is composed of a rod-shaped member 102 and comprises: a holding portion 104; and a utensil portion 108 provided on a tip of the holding portion 104 for holding or cutting food 106 to bring the food 106 to the user's mouth. As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the utensil portion 108 comprises: a fork 110 split into two, wherein a knife portion 114 is configured by forming a plurality of grooves 112 outside one of the fork 110 split into two. The grooves 112 are formed from a front side surface 116 to an outside surface 118 and are invisible from the back side. As shown in FIG. 2 (d), in the grooves 112, a square pyramid having four triangular surfaces 120 (a), 120 (b), 120 (c), and 120 (d) is formed. Accordingly, the knife portion 114 is not saw-shaped and is preferable when bringing the food 106 to the user's mouth and the like for safety. As mentioned above, the reason why it is necessary to consider safety is that the eating tool 100 is used not only as a knife but also as a fork. Further, the eating tool 100 has high intensity compared with that having a saw-shaped knife. On the other hand, it is possible to cut the food 106 because of having the triangular surfaces 120 (a), 120 (c), and 120 (d). That is, the shape of the grooves 112 are in the best form for being used as a knife while considering safety. In addition, the fork 110 split into two has a recess along a longitudinal direction. Moreover, the fork 110 split into two is taper-shaped by forging. Since this improves intensity, there is no possibility of the fork 110 being warped when used as a knife.

As shown in FIG. 1 (b), a pattern 122 is designed on the back side surface of the utensil portion 108 to represent a rabbit whose ears are the fork 110 split into two, which is preferable from the standpoint of appearance. And a pattern 124 are carved on the holding portion 104 to prevent the user's hand from slipping as well as being preferable appearance. Furthermore, a plurality of lines 126 are carved around a back-end of the holding portion 104 to hold the food 106 at the back-end.

As shown in FIG. 3, the eating tool 100 can be used as chopsticks when used in pairs. In this case, the utensil portions 108 are in a shape of being twisted at 90° with respect to the rod-shaped members 102. It is easy to hold the eating tool 100 because a surface of one of the utensil portions 108 is overlapped with a surface of the other utensil portion 108. It is possible to prevent noodles from falling by using the two eating tools 100 as chopsticks while facing up the knife portions 114 to eat wheat noodles or back wheat. When holding one of the eating tools 100 by the right hand as a knife and holding the other eating tool 100 by the left hand as a fork, as shown in FIG. 4, the eating tools 100 can be used as a knife and a fork. In addition, the part formed by twisting the utensil portion 108 at an angle of 90° with respect to the rod-shaped member 102 swells out relative to the other part, so that the utensil portion 108 is not in contact with the upper surface of the table when putting the eating tool 100 on the table while facing the front side or the back side downward, the eating tool 100 has a function as a chopstick stand. Besides, the eating tool 100 can be conveniently used to practice how to use a spoon, a fork, and chopsticks starting from the age of three.

While there has been described one embodiment of the eating tool of the present invention, it is to be understood that the eating tool of the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment. For instance, the eating tool may be eating tools 130 shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). The eating tools 130 are mainly used to distribute customers at retailers when selling food, which are mainly made from a resin.

The eating tools 130 respectively have a holding portion 132 and a utensil portion 134. As shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b), the eating tool 130 comprises a fork split into three and a spoon portion 138. The shape of a plurality of grooves comprises a knife portion 144 is the same as that of the grooves 112. As in the case shown in FIG. 3, the eating tools 130 can be used as chopsticks when used in pair. As in the case shown in FIG. 4, the eating tools 130 can be used as a knife and a fork when holding one eating tool 130 as a knife on the right hand and holding another eating tool 130 as a fork on the left hand. In the case of using the eating tools 130 as a spoon, it is possible to scoop up more food, such as a soup or the like by bringing two sides into contact to each other. Since the part formed by twisting the utensil portion 134 at 90° with respect to the rod-shaped member 140 swells out relative to the other part, the twisted part has a function as a chopstick stand. In the eating tool 130, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), when a strengthened member 142 of the rod-shaped member 140 is provided along a center line, a piece 144 of the strengthened member 142 is cut out by giving a cutoff line to the strengthened member 142 as shown in FIG. 5 (d), so that the piece may be used as a toothpick.

In FIGS. 6 (a), 6 (b) to FIG. 10, the reference numeral 10 is an eating tool of the present invention. While the material of an eating tool 10 may be a metal, wood, and bamboo or the like and is not limited to these materials, the material is preferably a metal in view of destruction of nature caused by loss of trees.

The eating tool 10 composed of a rod-shaped member 12 comprises: a holding portion 14 for holding by hand; and a utensil portion 18 provided at a tip of the holding portion 14 for holding or cutting food 16 to bring the food 16 to the mouth.

The holding portion 14 is such helical-shaped that the rod-shaped member 12 having a rectangular cross section is twisted around the central line 20 of the rod-shaped member 12 twice or more times. Thus, while the rod-shaped member 12 having a rectangular cross section itself is thin in the front view of FIG. 6 (a) and is thick in the side view of FIG. 6 (b), the holding portion 14 has the same thickness either in the front view of FIG. 6 (a) or in the side view of FIG. 6 (b).

The utensil portion 18 is composed of a fork 22 split into two, wherein a knife portion 24 is provided on the outside one of the fork 22 split into two. This enables the eating tool 10 to cut the food 16 as a knife as well as pricking the food 16 with the fork to be held. Further, the two pieces of the eating tool 10 may be used as chopsticks. Since the utensil portion 18 is in such a shape to be twisted at 90° with respect to the rod-shaped member 12, a knife portion 24 is located at the lower side when applying a forefinger 28 to the left side of the rod-shaped member 12.

As shown in FIG. 7, the two pieces of eating tool 10 is used by holding the holding portion 14 with a hand 30 when using the eating tool 10 as chopsticks. The holding portion 14 has the same thickness both in the front view of FIG. 6 (a) and the side view of FIG. 6 (b) seen from either direction, resulting in easy holding with the hand 30. Further, the holding portion 14 can be securely held by the hand 30 without slippery of the hand because the holding portion 14 is twisted in the helical shape. Furthermore, the holding portion 14 can be easily formed by twisting the rod-shaped member 12.

Next, when using the eating tools 10 as a knife and a fork, as shown in FIG. 8, one eating tool 10 is used by holding with the right hand as a knife and the other eating tool 10 is used by holding with the left hand as a fork. In the case of the eating tool 10 with the right hand, the utensil portion 18 is in the shape being twisted at 90° with respect to the rod-shaped member 12, so that the knife portion 24 is located at the lower side when applying the forefinger 28 to the left side of the rod-shaped member 12. Applying a force by applying the forefinger 28 to the flat surface 26 enables to cut the food 16 by effectively applying a force to the food 16 with the knife portion 24 of the utensil portion 18. Alternatively, the helical-shaped holding portion 14 makes it possible to cut the food 16 with the knife portion 24 of the utensil portion 18 by the effective application of a force to the food 16 with the knife portion 24 of the utensil portion 18. In the case of the eating tool 10 with the left hand, it is possible to prevent the hand 30 from being slippery by holding the helical-shaped holding portion 14, securely resulting in pricking the food 16 with the fork 22 of the utensil portion 18.

And in the present invention, since the number of the forks of the utensil portion is not limited to two, as shown in FIG. 9, an eating tool 50 having three forks 22 may be preferable. This eating tool 50 is only one embodiment that the features of the holding portion 14 and the utensil portion 18 of the present invention are added to a general fork.

The holding portion 14 is not limited to the one in which the middle of the rod-shaped member 12 is twisted, so that as shown in FIG. 10, an eating tool 60 which comprises the holding portion 14 formed by twisting near the ends of the rod-shaped member 12 may be preferable. The eating tool 60 can be used for fruits because of small dimensions. Further, the eating tool 60 is convenient in practicing how to use chopsticks while using the eating tool 60 as a fork for children.

As shown in FIG. 11, the eating tool of the present invention may be an eating tool 80 having a spoon portion 82 wherein the utensil portion 18 is composed of a recess. According to such an eating tool 80, it is possible to scoop up food.

In an eating tool 100, as shown in FIGS. 12 (a) to 12 (d) and 13 (a) to 13 (b), a plurality of grooves 112 may be formed outside a fork 110 split into two to configure a knife portion 114. Even in this case, the eating tool 100 can be either used as a knife or a fork, or chopsticks. When using the eating tool 100 as a knife, there is no need to take the direction of holding by hand into consideration. The eating tool shown in FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (d), 6 (a) to 6 (b), 9, 11, and 14 (a) to 14 (c), a knife portion may be provided outside a plurality of forks. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 14 (a) to 14 (c), in the eating tool 100, a knife portion 114 may be provided on the front side and the back side.

As shown in FIG. 15 (a), in the eating tool 100, the holding portion 104 may be in the shape of twisting the rod-shaped member 102 at 180° around the center line of the rod-shaped member 102. Further, in the eating tool 100, as shown in FIG. 15 (c), the holding portion 104 may be in the shape of twisting the rod-shaped member 102 at 360° around the center line of the rod-shaped member 102. The twisted shape of the holding portion 104 allows to press a long side flat surface 152 near a position P1 with the forefinger and the middle finger and then apply the long side flat surface 152 near the position P1 to the base of respective forefinger and thumb. Accordingly, while holding the eating tool 100 in a steady state by bringing the long side flat surface 152 having a large area into contact with a hand instead of a short side flat surface 154 of the rod-shaped member 102 having a rectangular cross section, it is possible to surely clip food. Moreover, the eating tool 100 may be used as a fork split into four. The eating tool 100 twisting the holding portion 104 at 180° is for people who hold chopsticks in a normal manner. On the other hand, the eating tool 100 twisted at 360° may be either held at a position close to the utensil portion 108 or a position far away from the utensil portion 108, so that it is possible to select the position to hold. In addition, the person that purchases the eating tool 100 may select 6 cm or 8 cm and the like of the length h of the twisted part.

In the eating tool 100, as shown in FIG. 17, the holding portion 104 may have an attached member 160, a shrink portion 162, and a resin coating portion 164 around the rod-shaped member 102. Thus, it will become easier to hold the holding portion 104 by making it as thick as that of ordinary chopsticks. An end 166 of the coating portion 164 is configured to be substantially as same as the surface of the rod-shaped member 102.

Additionally, in the eating tool 100, the holding portion 104 may be covered with a cover 156. The cover 156 may be formed by heating a resin foam inside and a thermosetting resin outside. The holding portion 104 becomes a little thicker than the rod-shaped member 102 by providing the cover 156, which makes it easier to hold by hand.

While preferred embodiments of the eating tool according to the present invention have been described so far based on the drawings, it is to be understood that the eating tool of the present invention is not limited to such preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings. For example, the cuisine in which the eating tool of the present invention is used is not limited to Japanese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Western cuisine or the like at all.

While the aspects of the eating tool of the present invention have been described so far, it is to be understood that various improvements, modifications, and variations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is understood that such aspects fall within the spirit of the invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the eating tool of the present invention, as well as being used as either a fork or a knife because the utensil portion includes a knife portion composed of a fork, the eating tool can be used as chopsticks when used in pairs. Therefore, the eating tool can be widely used as a tool for eating regardless of the kind of food, such as Japanese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, and Western cuisine or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d) show respectively an embodiment of an eating tool according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a front view, FIG. 1 (b) is a back view, FIG. 1 (c) is a left side view, and FIG. 1 (d) is a right side view.

FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (d) respectively illustrate the tool shown in FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d). FIG. 2 (a) is an enlarged front view, FIG. 2 (b) is an enlarged right side view, FIG. 2 (c) is a cross-sectional view of a cut part taken along lines A-A, and FIG. 2 (d) is a perspective view showing the shape of grooves 112.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a usage state of the eating tool in FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d).

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a usage state of the eating tool in FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d).

FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (d) respectively illustrate another embodiment of the eating tool of the present invention. FIG. 5 (a) is a front view, FIG. 5 (b) is a right side view, FIG. 5 (c) is an enlarged back view, and FIG. 5 (d) is an enlarged back view showing a usage state using a toothpick.

FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (b) respectively show still another embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention. FIG. 6 (a) is a front view and FIG. 6 (b) is a right side view.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a usage state of the eating tool in FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (d).

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a usage stage of the eating tool in FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (d).

FIG. 9 is a front view showing a further embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing a still further embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing another embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention.

FIGS. 12 (a) to 12 (d) are views respectively showing still another embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention. FIG. 12 (a) is a front view, FIG. 12 (b) is a back view, FIG. 12 (c) is a left side view, and FIG. 12 (d) is a right side view.

FIGS. 13 (a) to 13 (b) respectively illustrate the eating tool shown in FIGS. 12 (a) to 12 (d). FIG. 13 (a) is an enlarged front view and FIG. 13 (b) is a cross-sectional view of a cut part taken along lines D-D.

FIGS. 14 (a) to 14 (c) respectively show a further embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention. FIG. 14 (a) is a front view, FIG. 14 (b) is a back view, FIG. 14 (c) is a left side view.

FIGS. 15 (a) to 15 (c) respectively show a still further embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention. FIG. 15 (a) is a front view of an eating tool in a shape that the holding portion is twisted at an angle of 180°, FIG. 15 (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a cut part taken along lines D-D, and FIG. 15 (c) is a front view of an eating tool in a shape that the holding portion is twisted at an angle of 360°.

FIGS. 16 (a) to 16 (b) respectively show another embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the eating tool according to the present invention. 

1. An eating tool composed of a rod-shaped member, comprising: a holding portion for holding food by hand; and a utensil portion provided at a tip of the holding portion for holding or cutting food to carry food into mouth, wherein the utensil portion comprises: a plurality of forks; and a knife portion.
 2. The eating tool according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of grooves are formed outside the plurality of forks to constitute the knife portion.
 3. The eating tool according to claim 2, wherein the grooves are formed from a front-side surface through an outside surface and are invisible from the back side.
 4. The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holding portion is configured in a shape that the rod-shaped member is twisted at 180 degrees around a center line of the rod-shaped member.
 5. The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holding portion is configured in a shape that the rod-shaped member is twisted at 360 degrees around a center line of the rod-shaped member.
 6. The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the utensil portion is placed on a table face in a state of being spaced from the table face while allowing the twist part to come into contact with the table.
 7. The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the utensil portion has a spoon portion.
 8. The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a recess is provided along a longitudinal direction of the forks. 